Green card holders: US revives neighbourhood checks for citizenship seekers

USCIS officers may once again interview neighbours and co-workers to assess immigrants' moral character before granting citizenship

The Trump administration is reinstating a long-dormant practice of conducting "neighbourhood checks" to vet immigrants applying for US citizenship, expanding its efforts to aggressively scrutinise immigration applications, according to a government memo first obtained by CBS News.

 

The neighbourhood checks would involve on-the-ground investigations by officials at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that could include interviews with neighbours and co-workers of citizenship applicants.

 

“The government investigations would be conducted to determine if applicants satisfy the requirements for American citizenship, which include showing good moral character, adhering to the US Constitution and being well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States,” the memo, reviewed by Business Standard, read.

 

 

Should Indian immigrants in the US worry?

 

No, according to US-based immigration attorney Rahul Reddy.

 

“Headlines make it sound like immigration officers will start knocking on doors or interviewing neighbours for every naturalisation case. But let’s be clear — this is more political posturing than a meaningful policy change. Immigrants should not panic,” he wrote in a blog post.

 

What are neighbourhood checks?

 

Neighbourhood checks refer to USCIS officers potentially visiting an applicant’s home, workplace, or neighbourhood to ask people about their character and lifestyle. These investigations were once a part of the naturalisation process but have not been commonly used for decades.

 

For over 30 years, USCIS has relied mainly on FBI background checks and in-person interviews to vet citizenship applicants. Now, under the Trump administration, officers have been directed to consider field investigations again if they feel there is insufficient evidence about an applicant’s moral character.

 

“In reality, neighbourhood checks are extremely labour-intensive, time-consuming, and rarely produce useful information. That’s exactly why they were dropped as a standard practice decades ago,” said Reddy. “Bringing them back now is less about efficiency and more about creating a chilling effect — a way to scare people away from applying for citizenship or other immigration benefits.”

 

What this means for applicants

 

Lawyers say the change does not mean applications will automatically be denied or delayed. The process still relies heavily on the interview, immigration records, background checks, and documents submitted.

 

Abhisha Parikh, a US-based immigration lawyer, explained in a social media post that employers may be contacted to confirm:

 

• Dates of employment

• Job roles

• Applicant’s character and conduct

 

Applicants are advised to:

 

• Be honest and accurate on the N-400 application

• Ensure tax records, travel history, and employment timeline are consistent

• Seek legal advice if they have criminal issues, even minor ones

• Consider short character letters from supervisors, neighbours, or community members if records are complex

 

Eligibility rules remain the same

 

To qualify for American citizenship through naturalisation, applicants must generally live in the US for three or five years as legal permanent residents, pass civics and English tests, and have no serious criminal records.

 

The USCIS memo terminated the "general waiver" for neighbourhood checks, giving officers discretion to request testimonial letters from neighbours, employers, and co-workers. It suggested applicants may “proactively” submit such letters to avoid additional scrutiny.

 

Broader Trump-era crackdown on legal immigration

 

The revival of neighbourhood checks comes against a backdrop of wider restrictions on legal immigration.

 

In recent months, the Trump administration has:

 

• Frozen the refugee admissions programme

• Ended Biden-era policies that allowed some migrants to stay in the US legally

• Added new vetting layers for green card, work permit and citizenship applicants

 

In August, USCIS announced it would scrutinise the “good moral character” requirement more closely and probe “anti-American” views of applicants.

 

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the new memo would “ensure that only the most qualified applicants receive American citizenship.”

 

“Americans should be comforted knowing that USCIS is taking seriously its responsibility to ensure aliens are being properly vetted and are of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States,” Edlow said.